Ray, Northern, California Coast, where I dove between Santa Cruz and San Francisco, was home for lots of Abalone. I say was because it was a long time ago. They were divided into size restrictions depending on the different shell color types, which I guess indicate species variations. Pry bars were sold with lines etched on them that you used to measure from the tip that showed the minimum size per color that you could take. I recall blacks, yellows, and reds, we mostly found reds. A lot of people hunted for them, you can't take them with scuba, so the more easily accessible areas were picked over. We had a spot, I think the limit was five, probably the total limit, but five large Abalone is a lot of flesh. I'd say roughly starting at 200 yards from the beach we'd find them in pockets in the rocks interspersed between sand. Out far enough and deep enough they would suddenly appear. I don't know if was from being picked over that they were so far out, or they like the deeper water. The coast gets rough up there, perhaps a factor. Pretty deep, maybe starting at around 20-25 feet. I think we always got our limits pretty much once we found their area that day.
Surge could be running pretty strong out there, and the wave action getting in and out. Kicking in loaded up was slow. Young and diving a lot made it possible for my buddy and me. White sharks breed out there too, there were sightings, The Farallon islands further out is a known Great White habitat, but oddly we seldom thought about it. I've thought about it since, seeing divers killed in the area on the news.
A fantastic food, being a big muscle you slice it thin then pound it, bread and fry up in a little oil for a mere few seconds until a white milky substance comes out. With a freezer full we'd go on ab eating killing sprees, a nice memory for me. Kind of a similar delicate taste to lobster. A little lemon juice and sublime! Over here they are tiny compared and people eat them sliced raw like for sushi, which I feel is a waste. Frying brings out the richness. Pretty high in cholesterol, but burning a lot of calories to get them. This photo will give an idea of the size. Probably a red. The fellows rightly smiling.
@Limbrat
